Dos Amigos

With a team of award-winning chefs shaping the menu, and a recently remodeled dining room to showcase their talents, Dos Amigos is moving into a new era as it continues to provide one of the most rewarding Mexican dining experiences in Steamboat.

"This is a restaurant that appeals to the family that is looking for an affordable place to dine, but it also appeals to the person who is seeking a

culinary experience," said Dee Conder, an award-winning chef who helped create Dos Amigo's new menu and is a regular consultant to the restaurant.

"Dos Amigos is the type of place that is going to appeal to a wide range of people."

She worked with owners Gary and Michele Baxter to offer both an appealing bar menu, which includes such basic fare as hamburgers and quesadillas from 2:30 p.m. until midnight, and a unique dinner menu that offers many of Conder's most appetizing creations.

The menus are complemented by the restaurant's inviting interior, which was recently remodeled to create a warm and inviting atmosphere in the heart of Ski Time Square.

"We just completed our remodel and we are very proud of it," Gary Baxter said. "We've completely redone the dinning rooms and our dinner menu has changed dramatically."

Longtime locals and visitors will appreciate the new touches the Baxter's have brought to Dos Amigos. Those include new furniture, a tile bar and a lighter and more inviting color scheme that brings new life to the restaurant, which has been a fixture in Steamboat Springs for 30 years.

But the decor is not the only thing that has changed at Dos Amigos.

The Baxters hired Conder, who catered for former President Lyndon Johnson at his Texas ranch, to develop a one-of-a-kind menu and advise the kitchen staff.

They also hired master baker and chef Pam Albrecht who brings an incredible amount of talent and experience to the Dos Amigos staff.

This winter, Dos Amigos will offer a unique and diverse menu filled with a mixture of authentic renditions of dishes from Mexico's interior provinces and the Southwestern United States with a Latin infusion.

Baxter said that new menu items such as Shrimp and Crab Stuffed Anaheim Chile, the Mole Pablano De Guajolote and Ahuacate Relleno helps to separate Dos Amigos from the everyday Mexican restaurant.

Baxter points to such items as the Ahuacate Relleno, an avocado stuffed with pork and cheese that is breaded, deep-fried and served with a tomato cilantro sauce, as one of many culinary treats that make Dos Amigos unique. He also said the shrimp and crab stuffed Anaheim Chile, which is wrapped in bacon and served with tomato cinnamon sauce and fresh goat cheese, is a true dinning indulgence.

"We've worked very hard to create a menu that you are not going to find anywhere else," Baxter said.

The restaurant also offers the more traditional Mexican favorites like burritos, tacos, enchiladas, chimichangas, chile rellenos and tamales, but with a distinctive Dos Amigos flair.

Conder's Southwestern influence can be detected in the filet mignon, which is seasoned with an ancho chile and coffee rub and served with ancho and mushroom sauce.

The menu also highlights a boneless pork loin chop that is season and grilled before being served with pineapple green chile chutney and the prime rib served with Argentino al Chimichurri and chipotle cream sauce.

Baxter credits Conder with helping spice up Dos Amigo's new menu and said that an experienced kitchen staff including Albrecht and longtime kitchen manager Dirk Rago ensures a consistent and appetizing menu filled with items that will surprise and delight those who enjoy Mexican and Southwestern food. Conder is among five that have been credited with developing Southwestern cuisine.

In addition to being a chef, Albrecht is a master baker and is responsible for creating an incredible desert selection that includes Kalhua cremebrule, candied jalapeno white chocolate truffles and south of the boarder bread pudding with Mexican Cajeta.

Baxter, who first became a partner in Dos Amigos in 1989, said the restaurant will continue to provide the same service and great food it has for years, but will also offer customers in Steamboat Springs a unique experience that blends fine dining with a Southwestern feel.

The bar opens each day at 2:30 p.m. and offers a half-priced appetizers and drink specials each day until 6 p.m. The bar menu is available until midnight and the dining room opens at 5:30 p.m.